Posts By maegan arthurs
Claire Ashley, Jeff Huckleberry, and The Happy Collaborationists at The Icebox
Claire Ashley is a Scotland-born, Chicago-based artist who fuses sculpture and painting with a smattering of the absurd. For her latest piece, distant landscapes: peepdyedcrevicehotpinkridge, Ashley has created a series of inflatable sculptures that fill The Icebox Gallery at Crane Arts, transforming the space into a lively and cartoonish environment. Walking around the space, my husband and I decided that the forms reminded us of cloud-watching; the nebulous shapes potentially evoke any number of references. Speaking with Ashley, she confirmed that some of the forms are deliberately naturalistic (horse and cow, for example), while others are intentionally more ambiguous. Even ... More » »
Vibrant Impressions in “Intimacies of India” at the Rosenfeld Gallery
—The colors and textures of India in Diane Pieri’s new works cause Maegan to dream of travel.–the artblog editors————————->I have never been to India, but it’s high on my list of places I’d like to visit. Diane Pieri’s show, Intimacies of India, is comprised of colorful mixed media paintings that reflect on a recent trip to to the country. Maybe it’s spring in the air, but seeing this show ignited in me a little wanderlust. The show feels like an impressionist’s scrapbook. Pieri’s style consists of a blend of collage, painting and printing; these traditional methods of expression lend themselves ... More » »
Hypnotic reflections – Sam Friedman’s Beach at Space 1026
When I recall a very pleasant vacation memory, I find it difficult to fix my mind on specific visual memories. Instead, images float in, out, over and around scenes in my mind, creating a general impression of the moment rather than a photographically realistic recollection. Viewing Sam Friedman’s show, “Beach,” I sense he is doing just that: capturing the memory of solace and leisure in intersecting vignettes on the canvas. The largest painting in the show is “Sammy’s Girl,” a mammoth work that covers a wall along the back of the gallery. The images are rendered in a graphic way ... More » »
Judy Gelles and the candor of children at Pentimenti
I spent five summers working at a day camp in various capacities, including being a counselor. Working with children surprised me and I was amazed by the somewhat grown-up nature of the things that the children worried about. Some children who I looked after would often reveal worries or hopes to me, stunning me with their candid sincerity. This led me to wonder how children see the world. Judy Gelles‘ “The Fourth Grade” project offers a window into the mind and heart of a fourth grader. In the project, now on view at Pentimenti Gallery, Gelles interviewed children from schools in ... More » »
Brian Fernandes-Halloran’s close by – Some honest reflection at MUSE Gallery
If you run into me in public at any given time, chances are high that I’ll be distractedly thinking about daily needs and tasks. When we part company, it’s likely that I won’t later recall what color shirt you were wearing, or whether your hair was a bit mussed up in the back. What I will remember is the words exchanged, the tone of our chat and your friendly smile. I suspect that I am not the only person to experience this phenomenon. Brian Fernandes-Halloran’s show at MUSE Gallery, close by, confirms my suspicion that this is a common occurrence. ... More » »
Chaos and harmony in Arden Bendler Browning’s cityscapes at Bridgette Mayer Gallery
It is easy to dismiss the city landscape. Usually my husband and I hurry from one place to another, not taking the time to admire the architecture, the sights and, of course, the people. Despite its sometimes overwhelming pace and tendency to isolate her dwellers, the city can be quite lovely. Arden Bendler Browning’s show, Clickpath at Bridgette Mayer Gallery effectively rejoices in the frenzied aesthetic qualities of the unique metropolis that is Philadelphia. Bendler Browning sees a romance in the varying states of maintenance and decay throughout the urban scene. Her paintings convey an impression of the blurred images ... More » »
Hilarious paranoia in Deb Sokolow’s All Your Vulnerabilities Will Be Assessed at Moore
First impressions help to define our interactions with people and things. Usually, first impressions guide a person as to how a relationship (whether personal or professional) will progress. For example, if I wear sweatpants and a sweatshirt to a job interview, chances are I won’t be getting that job. This being said, my first impression of Deb Sokolow’s show was a bit off the mark. Sokolow’s abstract collage works rely heavily on narrative for their impact. This is not a show one can comprehend at first glance. Entering the room, I was taken aback by the stark presentation. Her works ... More » »
The artist and social communication – Richard Birkett and Martin Beck talk at Temple Contemporary
I must admit I am not well versed on the subject of institutional critique. So, reading the press blurb for “The Artist and Social Communication,” a talk by Richard Birkett and Martin Beck at Tyler School of Art’s gallery, Temple Contemporary, I was curious about what awaited me. The talk resulted in a stimulating discussion about the politics behind artistic expression and its intrinsic relation to the public sphere. Birkett, curator of alternative New York gallery, Artists Space, began his portion of the discussion by speaking on the mechanisms and qualities of exhibition design by relating his thoughts to the works of the ... More » »
Transformations – Works on paper at Episcopal Cathedral
Transformations, curated by Anne Minich, features inventive works on paper by six artists. The show, at the stunning Episcopal Cathedral — whose high-vaulted ceilings and warm, ambient light provide an excellent venue for the project — presents the viewer with a process-centered take on works on paper. Ditta Baron Hoeber’s handmade paper books show a progression of simple, small-scale line drawings. The series is unframed, and the individual pieces resemble studies. In her statement, the artist explains that working with the same model over time results in a process of “culling and sequencing.” This repetitive process is significant as Baron ... More » »
Out of Bounds – artists on nature at the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education
The group show at the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education, hosted by the SCEE and the Center for Emerging Visual Artists presents a wide range of pieces by seven different artists, all inspired by nature and intended to elicit reflection on our interaction and relationship with the natural. Out of Bounds commemorates the 25th anniversary of the Schuylkill Center’s Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic, which treats and rehabilitates thousands of animals per year. As we entered, Mami Kato and Caleb Nussear’s works were waiting for our appreciation, situated along the pond at the entrance to the Center. Nussear’s piece, composed of mirror and iron, ... More » »
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